each day an adventure in alaska: out in the cold....

blossom and i spent several hours out in the cold today. rio was at the door with her collar and coat on and once i opened the door she headed back to the couch. i'm happy that my sweet blind mastiff has the comfort and confidence to opt out of walks when she feels like it. this is a good sign for the seperation issues i fought those first years. not that she doesn't have some still, but she is so much better! when i got home i snuggled on the couch with rio and a electric fleece throw blanket! of course, this meant i fell asleep and missed my opportunity to get to the pool. so much for that resolution. the good thing about resolutions is that you always have tomorrow to start anew. goals are forever and you have each day to try again. tomorrow....pool!

blossom and i didn't start at the coastal refuge today, but it looked like it might be a nice sunset so after our walk up at prospect heights i drove to the refuge. the sunset didn't disappoint!

i love this place!

blossom is pretty sleepy tonight after 3+ hours of tennis ball chasing. i just loved the low hanging clouds on the mountains.

great sledding hill as you enter the refuge. nobody there when i arrived, but a group of teenagers had arrived when i was leaving. i haven't actually sledded this hill, but it does look like fun! will have to give it a shot one of these days.

the refuge is always full of surprises and i seem to take the same pictures each time i go, but they all look beautiful in different ways. still hoping to see that cool owl out there again, but no luck.

admittedly, i am a bit of a loner at times. it's easy for me to just do stuff on my own in my own time frame. is this because i grew up in such a large family. it was always hard to find time alone with 6 siblings. we were quite close in age as well. there is just 10 years between the oldest and youngest. i'm the youngest. does seem strange i guess that for as much as i craved attention growing up (and didn't get it really) i prefer being alone. well alone with the dogs and my cameras.

loved that there was this full reflection of the sun at the surface.

my batteries were slowing being drained from the cold. my big camera was tucked in my jacket to try and keep it warm. for anyone who doesn't live in a cold climate, all batteries die quickly in the cold. i usually keep a spare battery, but that one is also in the cold with me so it's draining as well. dampness will also drain the battery.

it almost felt a wee bit warmer to me today earlier, of course at the time i was thinking that i was walking uphill for the most part. when i was down here at the coast i was getting pretty chilled. no idea what the temperature was. i think probably close to 5 for much of the day, but i think it got colder at the refuge. no protection once you are out there.

though it's late, i'm thinking a tub sounds great. i don't think i ever totally warmed up after getting home. made a few stops on the way home since it was on the way. i try to make all my stuff go in a circle to save gas and time. since i cleaned in the kitchen i'm thinking i'd like a nice sized bread box. we have bed, bath and beyond here so i headed there. they just had small ones though. that store overwhelms me. so much stuff crammed into the space. bought a few trinkets, but no breadbox...

then since i hadn't pee'd for hours i took blossom next door to the petsmart. wanted to replace all the stuff they'd gobbled thier way through on new years eve. gifts for a friends dogs that now were party favors for my beasts. i was quite happy, less than $14 bucks and i got tons of stuff! yeah me! is is rude to mention i hadn't pee'd for hours. the idea of dropping my drawers in temperatures of 5 F did not sound appetizing. frost bitten arse. days like these make me realize that the dream of running an iditarod is not an option. the idea of putting booties on 16 dogs in temps down to -50, really not fun! in cold temps i have a hard time just getting the key in my front door. my seatbelt also doesn't like to click in when it is near 0.

my days off pass way too quickly. can't imagine working a job where i don't have so much time off. i'm happy working nights and happier that i just work 3 of em.

last time i was out here was the day rio had surgery. it was total ice out there that day. today was nicely packed snow.

cool clouds.

bitter cold,
can't feel my nose,
numbness comes,
to my fingers and toes,
but still i venture,
the beauties outside,
there's time later,
the warmth of the fire,
cold,
no reason to hide hide.

skies afire,
sun sets slow,
sky filled with light,
before it goes.

more pictures than words today. always fun to do quick poems. sorry if they totally bite. just getting started back writing poems again. i used to write tons. poetry, music, photography are all great releases for me. i feel for people haven't developed means such as art, music, writing to cope with the day to day stresses of life. i find it's huge really. people who don't have hobbies and interests and talents and skills that they enjoy, well, they seem more prone to be sucked into coping with drugs or alcohol or gambling...especially up here where the darkness and cold can suck you into a hole if you allow it. i watch people and i see how they can be destroyed when they have no other means. it's sad. alaska is a terrible place if you have no coping skills in life. thankfully, i feel like i have many means.

of course, taking care of so many people who are negatively impacted by drugs and alcohol is a deterent in my mind. no drugs or smoking ever. i do have a drink on occasion, but it's very occasionally. there is a time and a place and then i am happy to imbide. i remember talking to a pair of women in a parking lot. the one had just moved here and worried about the violence that comes with the territory. i remember i told her if she avoids love and alcohol she had nothing to fear.

not too many footprints heading out beyond the log above. that is my guide log. it's where you catch the main trail back to the sledding hill.

it's a good landmark so far....

of course, this time next year there could be refuge from the japan tsunami. they say stuff is begining to wash up on our shores. we have been warned to be cautious as there may be radioactive flotsam. also it was mentioned that there could be shoes with actual feet still in them. this sounds horrible to me. what does one do my friend asked when i mentioned this. would families want the feet of their loved ones back, does one respectfully bury such things. this came up as on our trip this summer to round island we will spend some time on some very remote beaches.

blossom enjoyed her hours of playtime!

didn't stick around for all of the sunset. i had enough pictures, it was getting cold and it's best to get back to the car before it gets too dark out there.

my brain wanders quite a bit, not sure how much other people converse with themselves, but i will admit i'm quite chatty with myself. not necesarily out loud though. spent a great deal of time training my dog and get frustrated when people don't train theirs. i just think it's important especially with larger dogs. i'm so happy that i have two dogs that i can pretty much take anywhere and they are reasonable. though it's funny that most people who encounter my dogs assume they are just naturally good dogs, which they are, but they don't realize how many hours i spent doing training with them. especially blossom.

the same people that don't discipline their animals or kids seem to all act like it's never thier kid or animal that is the real cause of any issue. with animals the laws are generally against the owner of the poorly trained dog, however, it's mostly difficult to enforce leash laws and such. they tend to creat thier own hell though as an untrained dog just gets worse over time. sadly, many of these dogs end up getting rehomed or put in shelters as they get older and everyone is so shocked that they behave so poorly. with humans...you are just stuck with a difficult kid. i often watch people who have no control over thier 2-3 year olds and i know that if you can't take the lead at this point, it will never happen and unless you are lucky the kid may turn into a teenage horror movie.

a lookout on the way to the refuge.

the rest are from the walk out prospect heights trails. i took the south rim loop trail. i frequently do in the winter. in the summers i'll go with friends as it's high brush and bear country. also as we discovered this summer..porcupine country. pictures in the july month of last years blog. not my dog fortunately. both of tanyas though.
denali showed up as i headed down the big hill towards the car.

blossom above, mt susitna (or sleeping lady) below.

my fair city of anchorage, cloaked in clouds.

the powerline trail with the big mountain in the distance.

more of anchorage.

beautiful blue skies out there today. no animal sightings.

went online and bought a few new aps for the phone. i do enjoy that iphone. the batteries don't last long enough though.

this trail is nice and central for friends. amy seemed to want to avoid the chill today and i never called anyone else. i know i'll sleep good after a day like today though. blossom already is...rio is too, but that dog can sleep anywhere, anytime. except in the car. she's always on edge in the car.

will have to get them in the tent again this summer. they are pretty good tent dogs. i have a big 6 person tent that i bought for cheap a few years back. easy to set up, fits me and both dogs and a few friends nicely. won't work for round island. that place gets wind.